VOLUME 31, ISSUE 3 SUMMER 2022 PAGE 10
Culture Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard: the implications By: Ivona Lu Latinovic
Photo: NBC News
W
e are all well aware of the infamous trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard that has been going on for the past 6 weeks, with the trending Tik Tok audios, viral court clips, and social media posts. However, where is this coming from? And what is the backstory regarding Depp and Heard’s relationship? What does this case mean for other victims of domestic or sexual abuse? In 2009, Depp and Heard met while filming a movie called "The Rum Diary”. In 2012, according to court documents presented by Amber’s team, Depp and Heard began dating. In 2015, the two got married in a private ceremony, and just a year later, in 2016, Heard filed for divorce, later accusing him of verbally and physically abusing her. In 2018, she wrote her infamous oped for The Washington Post about the alleged abuse she endured, where she wrote, "I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out." Following this op-ed in 2019, Depp sued Heard for defamation
Photo: Brendan Smialowski
seeking $50 million, claiming that even though Heard did not name him, the piece damaged his reputation and career as she was referring to the time period two years prior. After Depp had sued Heard, she countersued him for $100 million. Soon after, he claimed that the article was a ruse for Amber to gain supporters and positive press, and that she was not the victim of domestic violence, but instead the abuser. Since April, the defamation trial has gone viral on social media platforms with appearances on TikTok with trending sounds such as “My dog stepped on a bee”, “Were you there?”, “Did I read that correctly”, and many more. What does this mean for other victims of domestic abuse? With this case being so heavily publicized, people did not realize the consequences that would follow for the hundreds and thousands of other domestic abuse and sexual assault victims. While some of us thought these videos were harmless, and maybe even funny, many did not stop to think about how other victims would react. The many
opportunities for conversations surrounding domestic abuse were overshadowed by TikTok edits and trending sounds that made light of the trial. The response from the media gave us a perfect example of how patriarchal ideologies are so deeply rooted in our lives and society, with cases such as this one. The way that the media spun this case was unsettling and disappointing. Instead of creating opportunities to discuss abuse, this case has fueled negative stereotypes surrounding both women and men: the ideas that women are liars, and that men can never be victims of domestic abuse. The way the media responded to these allegations of abuse makes it hard for victims to come forward with their stories, fearing that the response might be the same as it was for this case. People have already started calling female victims of sexual assault or domestic abuse “Amber Heard” as a joke, accusing them of lying about their situation. This shows that the public's reaction to the Depp v. Heard trial was
Photo: Jim Watson
riddled with misogyny, and that this case has been used for campaigning the public to not believe women, which is the opposite of what should be happening. Instead, we should be finding the truth and serving justice. While this trial may have had its negative components, there is still good that came out of this case: it showed the public that men can also be victims of abuse. Stigmas such as be-
ing “alpha males” and needing to hold power surround men in society, and when a case like this one, with the abuser being female, is so heavily publicized, it makes other men more comfortable with coming forward. It also pushes the public to be more comfortable in understanding abusive relationships where the man is the victim. Overall, the outcome from this trial had both negative and positive outcomes,
ranging from the consequences victims suffered from this trial to creating conversations about men suffering from abusive relationships.
